Food Living Outside Play Technology Workshop

A Chair for the Great Outdoors

by TinkerJim on June 27, 2014

Table of Contents

A Chair for the Great Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: A Chair for the Great Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Materials and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 2: First cut the Legs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 3: Then assemble the Leg units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 4: Next cut the Seat and Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 5: Now carefully assemble Seat and Back to the Leg units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 6: Now you can make the Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Step 7: And finally attach the Arms to the Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 8: Add finishing touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 9: Long term care of your outdoor chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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 Author:TinkerJim
Emeritus Professor of Mathematics.

Intro: A Chair for the Great Outdoors

This is a project that will reward you with comfort! It will last outdoors for years and years with no upkeep, weathering gracefully as the years roll on. It has a natural
rugged utilitarian style, and making one of these chairs is an easy weekend project.

The inspiration for this chair came from the bench that the Wisconsin naturalist Aldo Leopold designed and made back in the 1940's. The following are among many
good sites depicting his benches:

epa

pinterest

organic gardening

Not needing to seat more than one naturalist at a time, I narrowed and modified the design into the chair described here. It has an ample seat, wider back rest,
dimensional changes to the legs, and added arm rests. It turned out to be quite comfortable !

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Chair-for-the-Great-Outdoors/
Step 1: Materials and equipment
The chair is made entirely from U.S. standard construction lumber sizes: 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, and 2x12.

For one chair you will need the following:

2 X 6 - 10’ length for the Legs

2 X 8 - 2’ length for the Back

2 X 12 - 2’ length for the Seat

2 X 4 - 3’ length for the Arms

28 - 3” long Deck Screws to hold it all together

This is a minimal bill of materials with a little allowance for cutting to exact size and shape. It would be much more economical to purchase longer standard board lengths
and make several of these chairs - which you will very much appreciate having around in various spots for relaxation and contemplation in the freshness and beauty of
nature.

For a strong chair, the parts have to mate up solidly when drawn up by the screws. Therefore cuts have to be straight and square. If you are fortunate enough to have a
sliding miter saw, the job will be a piece of cake. Otherwise, a handheld circular saw is necessary along with some sort of commercial or improvised guide. I had to resort
to the latter as shown in photos in steps below. For the 90° cuts the guide took the form of a basic tee-square for; another guide was made 30° off the perpendicular for
making the cuts for the legs.

You'll also want a drill and driver for putting in the deck screws.

Step 2: First cut the Legs

The legs are cut from 2x6 lumber (the actual dimensions - 1.5" x 5.5" - are shown on the drawing for the benefit of builders not in the U.S.). I used standard construction
grade lumber, but you may wish to consider the pressure treated variety.

The 60° angles should be cut as accurately as possible, but uniformity is the really important ingredient for a finished chair that won't look lopsided. So you will definitely
need to use your miter saw or cutting guide. My homemade guide shown in the photo did the trick, but there are nice protractor style guides commercially available.

The 75° angle at the top of the long legs is not critical, but needs to be the same on both legs and in the same position so that the back of the chair will butt up nicely
against both legs when screwed in place. A miter saw would make short work of this cut (with an assistant or inanimate prop to hold up the outboard end), but otherwise a
guide can be improvised by simply clamping down a strip of 1/4" plywood at the appropriate location on the leg to guide the shoe of the circular saw. A nice touch if your
carpentry skill allows it would be to cut a 3" notch to accept the back instead of just the straight 75° slice.

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Chair-for-the-Great-Outdoors/
Step 3: Then assemble the Leg units
Each leg unit is put together with four 3" deck screws as shown in the Leg Assembly Detail drawing. The screw locations are indicated in the drawing in red. The side
view of the screws is an "x-ray" kind of portrayal. The locations are not exactly critical. It is important to drill a clearance hole for the screw in the one part, so that when
the screw is driven fully home, the two parts will be drawn tightly together. A 1/8" diameter drill bit was perfect for the standard 3" deck screws that I used. No hole was
drilled into the part that takes the full length of the screw threads so that a good hold is realized. Before inserting the screws, they were dipped into a soap paste for
lubrication.

The 3" length goes fully through both thicknesses and the point may even poke out some if the heads are sunk in a bit, which is recommended for a joint that will stay
firm. You can easily take off any protruding points with a grindstone. I tried to put the screws in at a slight angle so this wasn't a problem - except for the few that
accidentally went in perfectly straight!

Remember that the drawing shows only the right hand unit - make the other of the opposite hand !!

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Chair-for-the-Great-Outdoors/
Step 4: Next cut the Seat and Back
The seat edges need to be cut straight and square for the structural integrity of the chair, but the back is not critical that way. The photo shows the tee square type guide
that I used clamped in place and ready to square off an edge of the seat board; the cut will coincide with the rightmost end of the head of the square.

You may wish to make the seat wider if you expect some wide company. I measured a number of chairs around the house before coming up with 20" which fits everyone
who has visited here and sat down - and me too even in my winter attire. Don't forget to chamfer the exposed corners while you're in a cutting mood.

Step 5: Now carefully assemble Seat and Back to the Leg units
This is a crucial step ! Accordingly, it is the most demanding. Upon its success depends the final appearance and sturdiness of the chair. If pains are not taken to hold the
parts in alignment and close contact before driving in the screws, the result could be crooked and wobbly - but probably still useable !!

Therefore, the first task is to clamp the assembly together tightly. I used pipe clamps across the leg units pulling them against the seat board while tapping it down against
the top of the short leg...and continually checking that the legs were standing perpendicular to the ground plane when viewed from the front. It is not too crucial that the
four legs make perfectly equal contact with the floor, because, being an Outdoors Chair, it won't be setting on a rigid floor but rather on terra firma. Of course you'll want
the leg bottoms to be reasonably coplanar in case you set the chair on a patio or porch, as we sometimes do here. An indispensable aid to the clamping up task is a
spacer between the tops of the long legs. I put a 2x4 cut to the exact same 20" length as the seat between the leg tops and tightened another pipe clamp across. Set up
like this, the chair will be a rigid assembly ready for driving in the screws.

The assembly drawing shows the approximate placement and number of screws used. I began with the screws through the top of the seat into the tops of the short legs.
Drill the clearance holes (just through the seat), soap up the screw threads, and spin them in tight. Now the seat should be down tight on the short legs, and so next put in
the screws from the outside of the legs into the seat edge.

Finally, screw the back in place, remembering to place it about 4-1/2" above the tops of the legs. Then the clamps can be removed to set free a nice sturdy and
geometrically perfect specimen ! All that is left is to make and fit the arms, which are absolutely essential for maximal comfort.

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Step 6: Now you can make the Arms
The arms are simple to cut out but take care that the angled end will butt up to the chair back. Cut the arm end to match the angle of the back of your chair. You want a
good intimate fit to give added strength to the back and arm. Only the right hand arm is shown in the drawing. Chamfer or round off the front ends for a comfortable place
to rest your arms. The angled cut to the rear end is optional.

http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Chair-for-the-Great-Outdoors/
Step 7: And finally attach the Arms to the Chair
You'll probably need an extra pair of hands for this final step, because it's not easy to find a way to clamp the arms in place while driving in the screws. You'll want to
have the arms lined up nice and straight and, most importantly, snug up against the chair back for rigidity. I located the arms to overlap to the inside about a 1/4" as the
assembly drawing indicates. The diagram shows the approximate placement of the three screws securing each arm.

Step 8: Add finishing touches

Check the arms, seat, and back for rough spots and sand them away - you don't want to pick up any splinters when trying to sit comfortably. I used regular lumber, so
after going through the work of making half a dozen of these, it seemed prudent to put some finish on them that might extend their life - at least a little bit. I gave the
chairs a good soaking coating of "Woodlife-Classic" Clear Wood Preservative. It is water based so cleanup is easy and when dry, does not leave a sticky or powdery
surface - perfect for sitting on !

Since the bottom of the legs are in contact with the ground, they were coated with tree dressing tar thinned a bit with mineral spirits. That is the black band visible in the
photos.

These measures probably helped because the chairs have held up far better than expected.

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Step 9: Long term care of your outdoor chair
I haven't done any additional care! Maybe I should have taken the time to slosh on another coat of Woodlife after three or four years, but I guess I used the time for sitting
instead! The six chairs I made eight years ago have turned into a pleasant weathered gray, but are still very tight and sturdy. A few of these old guys are shown in the
pictures in this step.

The chairs that are near the house or garden, we usually put in the garage or shed over the winter. But the ones farther out have stayed outside to use when hiking winter
as well as summer! The chairs are usually left leaning against a nearby tree which helps to keep the seat clear.

We have found these chairs to be comfortable in the yard and along our hiking trails.

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Comments
6 comments Add Comment

jessyratfink says: Jul 8, 2014. 3:32 PM REPLY

What a great and simple design!

s_buford says: Jul 7, 2014. 9:14 PM REPLY

Great design has anyone tried to make them stackable by moving the arms to the outside of the legs.

coleopterist says: Jul 7, 2014. 6:58 PM REPLY

Your an awesome person for modifying your own version of a "Leopold bench" into a chair I just recently visited his cabin in baraboo with my best friend and
was amazed at the benches outside of his cabin. He has always been one of my heroes for his conservation essays and narratives about the family farm.
Thank you for carrying on the legacy.

xwania says: Jul 7, 2014. 3:04 PM REPLY

great design. for sure I will be making these for my cottage. couple of ideas that may help. 1_ you could use cedar or teak for outdoor use. it would last a life
time and you don't have to put any finishes. 2_ you could use stainless steel nuts and bolts on the legs instead of screws which will make it very steady.
again thanks for the design

Fikjast Scott says: Jul 7, 2014. 2:53 PM REPLY

wow, great job. I really like your instructable.

rolltidehank says: Jul 7, 2014. 12:44 PM REPLY

Great chair design. Can't wait to build some of these for my backyard. Thanks!

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